Aging In The Social Space

tukaszTomczyk
Andrzej Klimczuk

Aging in the Social Space

Bialystok-Krakow 201 5

Authors:

TukaszTomczyk
Andrzej Klimczuk

Reviewers:

Prof, dr hab. Jan Maciejewski, the University of Wroclaw, Poland

Doc. dr Bojana Filej, the Alma Mater Europaea - European Center, Maribor, Slovenia

Publisher:

The Association of Social Gerontologists
(Stowarzyszenie Gerontologow Spotecznych), Poland

Suggested citation:

Tomczyk, L, Klimczuk, A. (201 5). Aging in the Social Space. Biatystok-Krakow:

The Association of Social Gerontologists.

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The cover design uses image "An overview of 50 years ago" of andrea floris licensed under
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Typesetting and text makeup:

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Print:

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Copyright ©TukaszTomczyk and Andrzej Klimczuk, 2015
ISBN: 978-83-943025-0-4

Licence: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (CC BY 4.0): httpy/creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Contents

Introduction 5

1. Senior in the Social Space 9

1.1 Senior Status Quo 9

1.2 Old Age from Historical Perspective 1 1

1.3 Demographic Changes 16

1.4 Pop Culture and Perception of the Old Age 21

1 .5 Old Age in Media Message and Lexical Resources 24

1.6 Intergenerationality 26

1 .7 Non-homogeneous Old Age 29

1 .8 Old Age Closed Within Stereotypes 32

1.9 Active Old Age 35

1.10 Activeness of Seniors on the Example of the Silesia District

(Poland) 37

1.1 1 Senior Capital 41

1.12 Social Capital of Older People and Economy 47

1.13 Health Situation of Seniors 50

1.14 Improvement of the Senior Quality of Life 53

2. The Local Aging Policy in Selected Large Cities of Poland 61

2.1 Introduction 61

2.2 The Concept of Social Policy on Old Age and Older

People (The Aging Policy) 62

2.3 Basic Assumptions of the Senior Policy in Poland 68

2.4 Case Studies of Selected Large Cities of Poland 91

2.4.1 Case Study: Krakow 97

2.4.2 Case Study: Gdansk 104

2.4.3 Case Study: Wroclaw 1 1 0

2.4.4 Case Study: Poznan 113

2.5 Conclusions 118

Summary 123

Bibliography 125

Figures and Tables 1 42

Introduction

Currently, in post-communist countries, the topic of aging and old age be-
comes more noticeable. Countries of the Eastern Europe region such as the
Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Po-
land are coping with the demographic change at the beginning in the 21st
century. These states participated in the 2004 enlargement of the European
Union, which so far was the largest single expansion of the European Union, in
terms of territory, a number of states, and population. In all ofthese countries,
the configuration of different age group's changes dynamically. Low birth rate,
retiring baby boomers' generation, growth of life length, and changes in the
pension system, determines a range of yet not appearing phenomena. Along
with the aging of populations, socioeconomic changes also include shift of
the attitude towards people in the senior age among different age groups.
Thus, modern old age generates a broad range of new phenomena that have
not been present in the past decades.

Working with seniors in international scale was and of course stiii is un-
dergoing continual development in connection with the development of the
human population, which is affected by social changes related to developing
technologies, world globalization, but also to the growing number of social
issues.

A publication called Aging in the Social Space is a compilation of studies,
which deal with theoretical understanding and empirical solutions, learning
about problem spheres, specifying content parallels of social, legal, economic,

6

Aging in the Social Space

moral and ethical views on senior issues in society, which are closely related to
each other and are interconnected.

This publication focus on the case study of Poland. It is supposed to pro-
vide a multidimensional view of old age issues and issues related to aging
and care for old people in society. We believe that it is natural also to name
individual spheres, in which society has some effect, either direct or indirect,
within issues concerning seniors. Learning about these spheres is the primary
prerequisite for successful use of social help to seniors in society.

Despite certain skepticism and underestimation of these issues on the part
of society, it finally becomes apparent that appropriate attention, adequate
solution and care for seniors are a limiting prerequisite of the existence of
knowledge as such, which is necessary to be brought to public notice - not
only in general professional public but also to lay public.

Since the middle of the 20th century, people have started to feel changes
of their status quo in family and peer space and their local environment (Sto-
jecka-Zuber, 201 3, p. 5). In order to become familiar with features of changes
of senior space in society, indicators were used, including those individual or
deriving from interpersonal relations. Multithreaded analysis of this issue led
to the presentation of correlations between a reception and valuation of old
age in the view of demographic changes, intergenerational relations, health
conditions, media message, which were included in the meanders of pop cul-
ture. The first part of this book includes description of different kinds of capitals
maintained by seniors. A reference was also made to a relatively new phenom-
enon in gerontology, connected with the paradigm of active aging. This part
was enriched with research data on the senior population conveyed in Silesia
(Poland), in the frame of which the social characteristics of modern seniors
were prepared. This part also present chosen determinants of social politics,
aiming at the increase of older persons' quality of life.

In the social sciences, aging population is mainly analyzed in relation to
the macro-level. Therefore, the studies mainly focus on international relations,
societies, individual countries or regions. Meanwhile, from the perspective of
social policy, the essential is the design and implementation of solutions for
solving problems related to process mainly at the local level called also as the

7

meso-level (communities, cities, municipalities) and the micro-level (citizens,
households, neighborhoods). The aim of the second part of the book is to
discuss the concept of social policy on old age and older people (together de-
scribed as the aging policy) in respect to the local level. After discussion of the
basic theoretical terms, the analysis of emerging aging policy in Poland is un-
dertaken. This analysis is followed by the literature review of documents from
four large cities: Krakow, Gdansk, Wrodaw, and Poznan. This part of the book
concludes with a summary of the main conclusions and recommendations.

When developing this monograph, the authors concentrated on the chal-
lenges, which need to be faced by dynamically developing sub-discipline on
the edge of human, social and medical science. The publication is mainly di-
rected to people interested in aging of old age such as students of pedagogy,
gerontology, and sociology. Being aware that the book is a subjective intro-
duction to the problem of old age in social perspective, the authors count on
a positive reception.

The authors thank reviewers Prof, dr hab. Jan Maciejewski from the Univer-
sity of Wrodaw, Poland and Doc. dr Bojana Filej from the Alma Mater Europaea
- European Center, Maribor, Slovenia and for the one anonymous reviewer for
profound analysis and a range of precious advice.

1. Senior in fhe Social Space

1.1 Senior Status Quo

Research connected with senior activities in society, only recently has been one
of most analytical areas of human studies, sociology, medicine, technical studies
(for example, sociology, social politics, social work, andragogy, medicine, tech-
nology supporting a proper functioning in old age). In the frame of conducting
research, the presentation of the scale of senior activity seems to be important. It
causes and meaning of being active in the gold age in the context of one's own
development. Depicting of senior activity determinants is usually connected
with presenting three crucial, existential areas of the older man: family, health,
and material situation. Presented triad is enriched, in the subject literature, with
other types of activity: physical, professional, intellectual, cultural, and educa-
tional (Chabior, 2008, p. 31). Functioning in specified spaces is often connected
with each other, and it works both ways. All of them create individually created
areas of life. The more commitment in specified areas, the bigger life activity of
a given person, which is a chance for positive aging.

Undertaking activity determines social status of an individual. Thus, an at-
tempt should be made to prepare a detailed presentation of connections be-
tween certain areas. B. Szatur-Jaworska shows that a position of a senior in social
stratification depends on many factors connected with the undertaken profes-
sional activity during the whole life, which in turn, determines material resourc-

10

Aging in the Social Space

es - namely income. Moreover, the "senior-status-quo" 1 itself is connected with
individual features such as health condition (Polska Agencja Prasowa, 2011) or
a position in the family. Among determinants, the authors also distinguished
other meaningful factors connected with the social politics of the country as
principles of social resources' redistribution (including health care) and crucial
and complex conditions connected with the retirement-pension system, which
is inseparable from the state of public finances. This issue is often analyzed from
a scientific, political or economic perspective because of the phenomenon of
rapidly aging society. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that senior position in
society is also connected with further, blurred elements such as social reception
of the aging process and old age (cf. Szatur-Jaworska, 2006d, p. 207) or a model
of education for old age in family, original and secondary environments.

Figure 1 Factors determining a position of the senior generation in social

We define the status-quo in the text as the position of older people in society, which is resulting from
many factors dependent and independent of the entity at the old age. The personal and environmental
factors determine the position of older people in society. In the broader context, these factors translate
into the public perception of seniors by other age groups and intergenerational relations. It is a social
condition, which is not a subject to rapid changes or undergoing transformations in a slow pace.

Senior in The Social Space

11

1 .2 Old Age from Historical Perspective

In ancient times, people undertaken all kinds of activities aiming at changing
and slowing processes connected with aging. Baths taken in donkey milks by
Cleopatra, drinking the blood of young wolves by Roman gladiators or more
severe activities such as drinking women milk, blood or feeding on fetuses of
young animals and use them for maintaining longevity. More sophisticated pro-
cesses connected with ancient history, and medieval medicine were based on
discovering different love or immortality elixirs, made out of gold, gemstones or
herbs. Within time, rituals were joined by creative activities like blood loss, star-
vation, medical procedures on glands, injecting novocaine. By such procedures,
people were expressing their disapproval for old age. Sacrifices represented a lack
of agreement on the experience old age, also in esthetic dimension (Skibinska,
2006, p. 230). Modern approach to the aging process is an equally interesting
phenomenon, from not only cognitive but also from an economic perspective 2 .
For instance, the number of available anti-aging creams or a wide range of medi-
cal procedures shows further, unconscious disapproval of inevitable processes.

For ages, the old age was connected only with a time full of sacrifices, physi-
cal and mental disability, perceived as sad and disguising. In the 13th-century
French hearings, one may come across descriptions of old people as always
coughing, not following rules of personal hygiene, living in dirt for life. In the
17th century, French lexicographer, Cesar-Pierre Richelet, defined old people as
those who are 40-70 years of age, giving them such features as suspicion, jeal-
ousy, and meanness. What is more, Richelet stated that old people constantly
complain and are unable to express friendship. In many ages, aging process was
an unwanted phenomenon, which was supposed to be in opposition, depend-
ing on different conditions, covered, and decorated (Zawada, 201 1, p. 130).

In ages dominated by magic and wizardry, old age was understood as limi-
tations, which were possible to be removed by magical rejuvenating rituals
(Laca, 2011, p. 23). Throughout ages, a number of changes in perception of
old age have been distinguished. For instance, Plato praises old age as a phase

2 Currently, postponing or covering the effects of ageing is an enormous branch of the economy, for

example, esthetic medicine centers, social institutions, pharmacy and cosmetology industry.

12

Aging in the Social Space

that allows people to live in harmony with the world thanks to the use of pre-
viously gained knowledge. However, Socrates notices physical deficits con-
nected with a long life; such deficits prevent a person from feeling fullness
of humanity (Muhlpachr, 2005, p. 11). The cradle of Western culture, namely
Greece, paid a tribute to the cult of youth; however, in public life, elderly peo-
ple were also present 3 . Moreover, a significant part of Greek philosophers lived
up to late adulthood, for example, Pythagoras lived for 80 or 90 years, Socrates
- 60 years, Solon - 80 years (Konieczna-Wozniak, 2001, p. 16).

Middle Ages, as it was mentioned earlier, bring a perception of old age
mainly in the context of deficits and fear of aging, and consequences deriving
from this process. In the 17th century, slowly regains the understanding of
old age as a phase of efficient existence, assessed at the same level as earlier
stages of life. However, this causes concern that also a "good" old age is possi-
ble to be achieved by maintaining proper life principles (F. Bacon). Most often,
old age is also perceived as a stage, in which is possibly gaining new knowl-
edge, for example, with theories of educational philosophy by J. A. Komenski.
Throughout further ages, development of medicine determines scientific dis-
covery of processes determining old age. End of the 19th century formulates
foundations of geriatrics, which develops rapidly at the turn of the second part
of the 20th century (Muhlpachr, 2005, p. 1 1).

Perception of old age also depended on social status, to which a given el-
der person belonged, which in turn was determined by, among others, level of
education and financial resources. For instance, in France in early middle ages,
seniors were treated equally to other adults; however, if they did not have fam-
ilies or lived in poverty, they became beggars or wanderers. It is an interest-
ing fact that in widely understood elites, some seniors autonomously backed
down from family life and joined orders; however, this ritual was typical rather
for the western part of Europe. In many societies, it is not the age that plays
a crucial role, but a capital, which in old age wealthy people could use for their
own profit or to multiply it by investing. This facet has been connected with

3 The example, which confirms a high position of seniors, may be a Spartanski Elders Council, which
has a deciding voice in crucial issues referring to legislative authority within the country of demo-
cratic character (see Zi^biriska, 2010, p. 118).

Senior in The Social Space

13

a general social wealth since that in the poor community resources could have
to be divided, for example, food. Because of the perception of the old age as
non-productive phase, seniors were treated as worse, considered less usefully
for a group. Sometimes, seniors were condemned to the starvation death or
were convinced to suicide. Of course, these phenomena were correlated with
wealth of societies. Another significant factor for ages was a physical condi-
tion. In communities characterized by the law of the fittest, people deprived
of a certain ability did not have an influence on creating a proper position in
society. Decrease in the influence of the personal condition of one's own posi-
tion appeared along with an increase of formalization of the law and a range
of the federal government. Another important element, defining a place of
seniors in society was a family structure. In most cases, in multi-generational
families, seniors maintained a particular economic feedback and played new
roles of, for example, grandmothers and grandfathers (Klimczuk, 2012, p. 29),
taking over a part of family responsibilities.

Old people occupied different positions in the social structure, because of
a dominant type of culture. For instance, in cultures based on the oral message,
the senior was a stronghold of knowledge, which was given a role of the treasury
of knowledge. Along with a development of messages in a written form, the role
of widely understood life wisdom of seniors was lost (Klimczuk, 2012, p. 30). The
meaning of a senior as a holder of knowledge and memory of generations was
also spread among peoples, in which senior occupied a position of an educator
and a judge, as a connection between generations. Perception of old age in these
structures was described by a saying "when an old man dies, the whole library
burns, "which was some evidence of a significant role of seniors. Accumulation of
knowledge and memory, in chosen societies, in the natural way predisposed to
fulfilling significant roles. In selected cultures, a persona of an old man became
an artistic inspiration in painting, sculpture, poetry, being some personification of
wisdom (Stefaniak-Hrycko, 2011, p. 35). Nowadays, a position of an older people
in the social space is dominated by the electronic media that allow a limitless
access to information. Younger generations are more willing to gain information 4
from web browsers than from a real contact with older generations.

4 This term should not be confused with a category of knowledge, or life wisdom.

14

Aging in the Social Space

When presenting a matter of a place of a senior in society, one should refer
to sources of knowledge about described phase of life, namely the literature
of gerontology. With the use of critical analysis prepared by E. Skibiiiska, the
findings of the author mentioned should be that are referring to the second
half of the 20th century, when social gerontology started creating it scientific
personality. Unfortunately, only in 70s, in Polish literature of gerontology, there
was no significant change in the matter of attitudes towards old age despite
the fact that, for example, in France and Poland, Universities of Third Age were
formed. Seniors were presented as units not able to fulfill their materialistic
and non-materialistic needs, and old age was described only from the per-
spective of physical and psychical regressive changes. In the literature of these
times, noticed can be the attempts to transfer the accent from deficits and
physical and psychical disabilities on these features, which allow people to live
through the old age in an efficient way. The 80's are connected with present-
ing the phase of old age, not only as a negative trend, but first opposing re-
search tendencies occurred. Old age is framed in the category of a phase that
allows further development. This type of approach is not dominant, but it is
only depicted as an alternative option. The 80's are characterized by underlin-
ing the differences between the "good" and the "bad" old age. "Good" old age
is a phase that is active, valuable, whereas "bad" is connected with a weight in
society, brings shame. In the 90's, it is difficult to talk about an affirmation of
the old age in the subject literature; however, observed may be the changes
referring to the image of the senior. Old age is no longer treated as a social
problem. In books of science or meta-theoretical character, depicted are ad-
vantages of old age through the not discovered or unnoticed possibilities. Last
phase of life is treated as a natural cycle of human life, as a continuity of earlier
stages so the stress is put on preparation for old age. The senior is presented
in a multidimensional light with significant stress on his/her individuality and
potential that is yet to be developed. When summing the consideration in
the matter of literature, E. Skibinska underlines that one may have an impres-
sion, that subject literature significantly, beats the surrounding reality, in which
a senior still does not have a dignified, well-deserved position (Skibinska, 2006,
pp. 229-54). However, by undertaken analysis, establishing scientific associ-

Senior in The Social Space

15

ations and science centers, the problem of the old age is more discovered
and understood by science communities and the receivers of the presented
knowledge, who are also young people, who will become old one day. What
is more, the actions taken, also in the form of scientific research, are indirectly
of a use to governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) that create a proper physical space, in which seniors function.

It is worth mentioning that in autumn 1973, by the initiative of Prof. Jerzy
Piotrowski, established was the PolskieTowarzystwo Gerontologiczne (PTG; eng.
The Polish Society of Gerontology), as an interdisciplinary scientific association,
uniting representatives of different branches: sociologists, demographers, psy-
chologists and doctors of medicine. Moreover, during the gerontological confer-
ence in Zakopane on April 20, 2010, over a dozen people started the research on
aging processes. The Stowarzyszenie Gerontologow Spotecznych (SGS; eng. The
Association of Social Gerontologists) unites specialists of the knowledge of up-
bringing, especially andragogists.The SGS is devoted to research on educational
and pedagogical aspects of aging processes. Such initiative, is a natural move-
ment, indicating the development of science dedicated to aging processes in
Poland. Creators of the SGS hope that the actions taken will contribute not only
to the improvement of social gerontology as a scientific discipline, but also to
improve the life of seniors in Poland (SGS, 2010). In Poland (todz, Wroclaw, War-
szawa, Bielsko-Biata, Krakow, Oswi^cim), Slovakia (Banska-Bystrzyca, Nitra) and
the Czech Republic (Praga, Otomuniec) there are more and more academic fa-
cilities working on research in the matter of old age from the point of view of:
demography, education, sociology, culture and medicine.

In addition, the demographic situation influences the social position of sen-
iors. When the representation of this age group is not large, they are treated
with respect and care. The growth of the number of seniors favors the opposite
tendencies. Moreover, the position of older adults' shapes depends on politi-
cal systems. In the historical hierarchic and autocratic systems, seniors occupied
a higher position in which often the gained knowledge has been for life. Modern
democracies are often created by young and middle-aged people, in opposi-
tion to the inheritance of privileges determined by age. Nowadays, old people
are a part of political elites and they are more often perceived as an important

IB

Aging in the Social Space

and a numerous electorate (Klimczuk, 2012, p. 30). Perception of the old age
undergoes changes and it is an inevitable process in times of constant changes.

1.3 Demographic Changes

Data that were presented so far should be set with prognosis depicting the sit-
uation of aging Poland in the background of other parts of the globe. Current-
ly, the Polish age structure is close to one of the countries of Eastern Europe;
whereas, within next several dozen years, the group of people over 65 and
middle-aged groups will increase significantly. Thus, countries of the Eastern
Europe region will become countries with the biggest proportion of seniors in
the EU in the short term. However, we need to remember that the population
aging is taking place everywhere around the world.

As C. Mech (2012) underlines, reference to the latest analysis by the Or-
ganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) called as the
Looking to 2060: A Global Vision of Long-term Growth:

The saddest conclusion for us (...) is a projection of changes, which takes place in
Poland. According to the OECD, in 2030-2060 the slowest development or actually
no development at all will be observed in Poland. Then, the growth will be on the
level of 1%, basing on statistics of prices from 2005, whereas even significantly rich-
er countries of the OECD will be had developed about 70-80% faster (17-1.8%).

The cause is not supposed to be a demographic breakdown of Poland, which will
reduce our economic growth by 201 1-2060 to 0,6 percentage point per year. Even
Japan, which is touched by a severe demographic breakdown (the loss of growth
equals 0,5 percentage point), will develop faster- namely 1.4% a year in 2030-2060.
Demographic loss of Poland, if considering the half of a century, will be the highest
and only lower than Russian, which will increase its growth or 0.3 percent points.

The above-mentioned factors that slow down the economic growth, are the results
of the anticipated world-highest demographic overload counted by an indicator of
correlation between the share of people in post-productive age (over 65) and pro-
ductive age (15-64), which will fly up to 64.6% in 2060 and only Japan will record
a higher level of 68.8%. Elowever, in Japan, the overload rate will equal 31 .7 percent-
age points, whereas it will be 3 or 4 times higher in Poland (to compare in Japan
1 .9), it will grow beyond imagination - 45.6 percentage points. As a result, the share
of the population in productive age will decrease from 71 .4% to 53.4%.

Senior in The Social Space

17

Table 1 Percentage of people over 65 in population and its average age

Percentage of people
over 65 in population

Average age

Year

1950

2005

2050

1950

2005

2050

World

5.2

8.1

16.2

23.9

28.0

38.1

Africa

3.3

3.4

6.9

19.1

19.0

28.0

East Asia

4.4

00

bo

24.8

23.5

33.4

45.9

South-Central Asia

3.7

4.7

13.5

21.2

23.3

37.2

Southeast Asia

3.8

5.4

17.6

20.6

26.0

40.2

Eastern Europe

6.5

14.3

26.6

26.4

37.5

48.1

Poland

5.2

13.3

31.2

25.8

36.8

52.4

Western Europe

10.2

17.2

27.7

34.6

40.5

46.7

Latin America

3.5

6.3

18.5

20.0

26.0

40.1

South America

3.4

6.4

18.5

20.4

26.5

40.0

North America

8.2

12.3

21.5

29.8

36.3

41.5

Source: (Boni, 2008, p. 14)

Table 2 Median age of people in Poland in 2007-2035

Year

Overall

Men

Women

Overall

2007

37.3

35.3

39.4

2020

41.4

39.8

43.2

2035

47.9

46.0

49.7

Cities

2007

38.5

36.0

41.1

2020

42.4

40.5

44.4

2035

48.6

46.4

50.5

Province

2007

35.5

34.2

36.8

2020

39.9

38.7

41.1

2035

46.9

45.5

46.3

Source: (Blqdowski, 2012b, p. 15 by the Central Statistical Office of Poland).

18

Aging in the Social Space

As data and recent analyzes show, significantly fast growth of a number
of the oldest part of society will take place after 2025. This process will last for
many years to come, and the best example for this is a median (center value,
the average value) of the age of people in Poland. If a median crosses the value
of 25 years of age, demographers consider society as demographically old. In
2060, it is believed to go beyond a level of 54 years of age and will be, except
Slovakia, the highest in the European Union. Demographic aging of Poland
will be most intensive in the European Union (Btgdowski, 2012b, pp. 15-17).

Figure 2 Life length divided into sexes in 1 985-2035

men men prognosis (variant II)

women women prognosis (variant II)

Source: (MPiPS, 2012, p. 4).

When transferring data from Figure 2 about Polish reality, it is worth notic-
ing that a significant fact is that because of the increase of quality of life, an av-
erage life length of the Polish citizens was prolonged (Czapinski, Panek, 2014).
Within 10 years, since 2000, an average life length increased in 2.6 years for
women and 2.4 for men, so in 2010 the average life length equaled 80.6 years
for women and 72,1 for men. According to the prognosis of the Central Sta-
tistical Office of Poland (pol. Gtowny Urzqd Statystyczny), until 2035, an aver-
age life length will increase within 8 years for men and 3 for women. Detailed
information about human life duration was presented in Table 1 (MPiPS, 2012,
p. 4). In reference to an average life length, it is worth underlining that the

Senior in The Social Space

19

more years given person lives, the bigger a chance for him/her to live longer
than an average since he/she avoids premature death causes (Szarota, 2013,
p. 6-12). Thus, a senior during his/her lifetime avoids such events as injuries,
accidents, heart diseases that kill 40 and 50-year olds, rapidly decreasing the
average life length. If a potential person survived these phenomena, his/her
chance to survive years beyond the mean increases (Btgdowski, 2012a, p. 85).

In chosen districts of Poland, assigned were, within a few years, institutions
devoted to the challenges that society has to face. The demographic situation
in Silesia, which is a neighbor of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, is covered
by Obserwatorium Integracji Spotecznej (OIS; en.The Social Inclusion Observa-
tory) operating in association with Regionalny Osrodek Polityki Spotecznej in
Katowice (eng. The Regional Social Policy Center in Katowice). During the con-
ference, which took place on December 12-13, 2012, presented were partial
results of the report from the project 1.1 6 Coordination for active integration. As
researchers from the OIS underline: "At the end of 2010, the percentage of peo-
ple in post-productive age in Silesia was 17.7% with an overall Polish average
of 16.9%. Silesia was ranked fifth in the country" (Btasiak, Ciupek, 2012, p. 17).

Figure 3 Percentage of people in post-productive age by districts - for 201 0

share of people in post-productive age (%)

Source: (Blasiak, Ciupek, 2012, p. 18).